The Winning Team

• 8 May 2015

  We arrived at our Hotel and, at dinner, met the other members of our Help2Help volunteer group. There were 14 other volunteers from different parts of Sydney.
• 9 May 2015

  In the morning we prepared food packs with the group. Each food pack contained 3 bowls of rice, a bag of garlic and a bottle of fish sauce. We then took a bus to the local markets to check out the local produce. In the afternoon we visited S21 and Killing Field to gain a deeper understanding of Cambodian history.
• 10 May 2015

  We left our Hotel after breakfast to head for Siem Reap. We stopped at Tip Village on the way. This was the first time we had witnessed true poverty in Cambodia. We handed out the food packs that were prepared the previous day. It was a shock to see the poor living conditions these people suffer. Small children with no shoes or clothes and houses made from corrugated iron really made us consider how privileged we are in Australia.

  Our next stop of the day was Spider Village. This market sells many varieties of insects, which we found to be quite interesting.

  We were invited to stay at Ly’s (our tour guide) home. We all stayed in our own tents in front of Ly’s home. His wife Rathana was our cook, who managed to prepare a fantastic meal. The couple have 2 children of their own, and also care for 10 orphaned children in the same small house. For our welcoming dinner, Help2Help organised a group of traditional Cambodian dancers to perform for us at Ly’s house.

• 11 May 2015

  We were privileged to meet Help2Help directors, Blayne and Jason. We were taken to the school that is being built by Help2Help. After breakfast we packed some more food for the villages. After lunch, we headed to the first village to deliver food and on our way back dropped some stationary supplies into a local school.
• 12 May 2015

  We visited 4 more villages. The people were very grateful and happy to see us. We could see from their faces how pleased they were to receive the food packages.
• 13 May 2015

  We said a sad goodbye to Ly’s family and headed off to Siem Reap. It was very hard for us to leave our new found friends. They showed us such a fabulous time and gave us such wonderful memories that we will never forget. We arrived at our Hotel in the afternoon.
• 14 May 2015

  We all awoke early so we could arrive at Angkor Wat by 5am to catch the beautiful sunrise which shined across the temple. Angkor Wat is one of the 7 Wonders of the World. It has become a symbol of Cambodia. We also visited smaller temples nearby, which were amazing.
• We arrived home to Sydney in the early hours of 16 May 2015. This was the most amazing and life-changing trip and hope that other team members at St Johns Park Bowling Club will have the opportunity to go on a volunteer trip. Thank you St Johns Park Bowling Club.